Ex-NFL DE Greg Hardy returns to UFC on April 27

March 4 (UPI) -- Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy is returning to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Sources told ESPN that the former Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys defender will fight Dmitrii Smoliakov at the UFC Fight Night event on April 27 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla.

Hardy (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) lost to Allen Crowder in his UFC debut in January after being disqualified for landing an illegal knee in the second round of the bout.

The heavyweight fight will air on ESPN 3. Smoliakov (9-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) last fought on Jan. 25, beating Alexander Zubachev by submission in Russia.

Hardy, 30, is listed at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds on his UFC profile. He is listed at 6-foot-5, 279 pounds on Pro Football Reference. The 2013 Pro Bowl selection was a sixth round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Hardy played his first five seasons for the Panthers before signing with the Cowboys in 2015. Hardy was suspended for 10 games before the 2015 season for conduct detrimental to the league. That suspension was later reduced to four games.

The suspension was for his role in a 2014 domestic violence incident. He missed 15 games during the 2014 season while placed on the exempt/commissioner's permission list.

Hardy hasn't played in the NFL since the 2015 season.